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Life Cycle Assessment Of Co-Located Floating Solar And Offshore Wind, Danela Sadikaj, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Is combining floating solar and offshore wind platforms feasible for increasing energy capacity while displacing the environmental impacts that each of these systems has independently? In recent years offshore wind has become a very popular option to decarbonize the energy sector without overtaking valuable land. While floating solar is not a new technology, using solar in a marine environment is still in an experimental phase. This research proposes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model of co-located solar technology within the proposed offshore wind farms near New Jersey’s coastline. While both technologies themselves are zero-emission while operating, they each require a …

Evaluation Of Topographic Effect Parameterizations In Weather Research And Forecasting Model Over Complex Mountainous Terrain In Wildfire-Prone Regions, Yonghan Jo, Seung Hee Kim, Yungon Lee, Changki Kim, Jinkyu Hong, Junhong Lee, Keunchang Jang

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Recent trends of intense forest fires in the Korean Peninsula have increased concerns about more extreme burning in the future under a warming climate. Accurate and reliable fire weather information has become more critical to reduce the risk of forest-related disasters over complex terrain. In this study, two parameterizations reflecting complex topographic effects were implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The model performance was evaluated over the mountainous region in Gangwon-do, South Korea’s most significant forest area. The simulation results of the wildfire case in 2019 show that subgrid-scale orographic parameterization considerably improves model performance regarding wind …

Patterns In Tropical Cyclone Intensity And Frequency Since 1960, Ramie E. Thompson

Student Scholarship

Tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes or typhoons, are defined as organized storm systems that form in the warm waters around the equator (NOAA, 2024). This happens due to the combination of warm waters, light winds, and preexisting weather conditions. In the last 50 years, tropical cyclones have accounted for approximately 800,000 deaths and an economic loss of $1.4 trillion USD due to their resulting damages (WMO, 2024). Research in this field includes studies that encompass a variety of time scales including from 85 to 150 years on a global or regional level and studies that focus on more recent …

Reducing Emissions And Increasing Resource Efficiency In Offshore Wind Turbines: Insight From Life Cycle Analysis, Jean Claire Pineda, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Globally, offshore wind (OSW) has been identified as a key technology for decarbonization. While OSW’s development timeline remains uncertain in the United States, New Jersey has set the ambitious goal of 11 GW by 2040. OSW produces zero carbon emissions; however, it relies heavily on resource-intensive materials like steel, rare earth elements, and copper, and manufacturing those materials have numerous environmental impacts, including carbon emissions. Supply chain disruptions—from COVID-19, rising material costs, and geopolitical challenges—add further complexity. Previous research modelled the environmental impacts of Atlantic Shores OSW South Project with an established domestic supply chain, producing 0.013kg CO2 per kWh. …

Analyticity, Superoscillations And Supershifts In Several Variables, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini, Daniele C. Struppa, Alain Yger

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Superoscillations have roots in various scientific disciplines, including optics, signal processing, radar theory, and quantum mechanics. This intriguing mathematical phenomenon permits specific functions to oscillate at a rate surpassing their highest Fourier component. A different way of thinking about superoscillations consists in realizing that it is possible to reproduce the exponential function far away from the origin by only knowing its value in a countable set of points near the origin. By using this perspective, one can extend the idea of superoscillations to functions that are not a sum of exponential functions, namely to the notion of supershift. The study …

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Residential Parcels) (Dated February 26, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Extending The Bridge Connecting Chiral Lagrangians And Qcd Gaussian Sum Rules For Low-Energy Hadronic Physics, Amir H. Fariborz, Jason N.E. Ho, T. G. Steele

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

It has previously been demonstrated that the mesonic fields in chiral Lagrangians can be related to the quark-level operators of QCD sum-rules via energy-independent (constant) scale factor matrices constrained by chiral symmetry. This leads to universal scale factors for each type of chiral nonet related to quark-antiquark (𝑞⁢¯𝑞) operators and four-quark (𝑞⁢𝑞⁢¯𝑞⁢¯𝑞) operators. Motivated by these successful demonstrations of scale-factor universality for the 𝐾*0 isodoublet and 𝑎0 isotriplet scalar mesons, a revised Gaussian QCD sum rule methodology is developed that enables the extension to higher-dimensional isospin sectors, including the possibility of mixing with glueball components. Moreover, to extract nonperturbative information …

Visualization Of Coastal Carbonate Lithosomes: Color-Intensity Patterns And Georadar Imaging Of A Semi-Lithified Strandplain, Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas, Ilya Buynevich, Michael Savarese, H. Allen Curran

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Quaternary carbonate strandplains serve as archives of land–sea interaction, including the impacts of storms and tsunamis. Incipient lithification, especially of compound beach/dune ridges within the action zone of salt spray, presents challenges to geological research, which is often limited to exposures. This study combines aerial image analysis with geophysical datasets to assess the morphostratigraphy and internal structure of the Freedom Beach Strandplain along southern Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas. Color-intensity analysis of field photographs and satellite images revealed general patterns that can be used to distinguish between areas with different grayscale parameters (sand-covered surfaces, lithified ridges, vegetation, etc.). Cross-shore (dip-section) high-resolution …

Algorithms To Estimate Contours: Two Applications Of Analytical Tools In Differential Geometry And Topology, Mohammad Abirul Islam

Computer Science ETDs

We develop distributed robotics algorithms with analytical tools needed to define and analyze angle turned and distance traversed by robots executing geometric algorithms. We then use these analytical tools to obtain information, via sensor measurements, about an a priori unknown surface. Our contributions are threefold. First, we develop the Sketch Algorithm, which estimates the boundary of any unknown contour and is asymptotically optimal in terms of distance traversed and angle turned. Second, we present experimental field work that validates the Sketch Algorithm. Finally, we propose an approach to find multiple sources of a surface with potential applications to approximate that …

Data In The Classroom: The Impact Of A Data-Centric, High School Program To Motivate Career Interest In Stem Fields, Tyler Stabiler

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes to analyze the importance of introducing data-centric STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies at the high school level. In today's digital age, the importance of studying data-centric STEM in high school cannot be overstated. This dissertation looks to discover educational capabilities of high school students in various grade levels by understanding their drive, desire, and ambitions in a different STEM course than what is currently offered at the high school. Finally, the study analyzes the students’ participation in lectures, laboratory environment, and model/simulations to identify the significance in high schools adding data-centric curriculums to their academic …

Incorporating Latent Survival Trajectories And Covariate Heterogeneity In Time-To-Event Data Analysis: A Joint Mixture Model Approach, Fu-Wen Liang, Wenyaw Chan, Michael D Swartz, Bouthaina S Dabaja

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Finite mixture models have been recently applied in time-to-event data to identify subgroups with distinct hazard functions, yet they often assume differing covariate effects on failure times across latent classes but homogeneous covariate distributions. This study aimed to develop a method for analyzing time-to-event data while accounting for unobserved heterogeneity within a mixture modeling framework.

Methods: A joint model was developed to incorporate latent survival trajectories and observed information for the joint analysis of time-to-event outcomes, correlated discrete and continuous covariates, and a latent class variable. It assumed covariate effects on survival times and covariate distributions vary across latent …

Escalating Hydrological Extremes And Whiplashes In The Western U.S.: Challenges For Water Management And Frontline Communities, Wenzhao Li, Surendra Maharjan, Joshua B. Fisher, Thomas Piechota, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The Western U.S. is experiencing significant changes in its hydrological dynamics, marked by increased variability and rapid “whiplash” shifts between extreme drought and flood conditions. This study quantified these changes using a customized hydrological water year index, which correlated better with surface water storage in the basins than other drought/wetness indicators. Application of the index revealed heightened hydrological extremes and whiplash events post-2015 in all Western U.S. basins, with nearly 72% of stations facing critically dry conditions in 2021 and over 54% experiencing extreme wet conditions in 2023. Future projections indicate a decline of 8.5%–13.2% in non-extreme water year types …

Sustainability Planning For Waste Management In Midwestern Small Suburban Cities, Karen Frances Goodwin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sustainability planning in small suburban cities, particularly as it relates to waste management programs, remains an underexplored area in scholarly research. Without long-term planning, these cities often react to issues in a fragmented manner rather than implementing proactive policies, negatively affecting public health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine sustainable waste management policy processes that enable sustainability planning in Midwestern small suburban cities. Using Jones et al.’s local adaptive capacity framework and Q-methodology, viewpoint patterns were analyzed to understand what motivates decision-makers to foster an environment conducive to sustainability planning. Thirty-one participants representing three local government …

Joy In Lifelong Learning: An Introduction To Planning For Learning Disabilities In Museum Education, Elaine L. Davis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For over a century, the role of museums as learning institutions has been considered alongside that of schools. However, special education practices are rarely adapted for museum education, requiring educators in museum contexts to undertake extra work to accommodate those with learning disabilities. This thesis used Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Textual Analysis to review pedagogical white papers and academic research on museum programs aimed at neurodivergent audiences. The findings were used to create a professional development guide for museum educators at a range of different types of museums.

Determination Of Chlorpheniramine Maleate In Its Pharmaceutical Preparations Using Homemade Turbidity Flow Injection Analyzer, Muntadhar M. Jabbar, Elham N. Mezaal

Baghdad Science Journal

By using continuous flow injection analysis technology, a new analytical method was presented for the determination of chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) in its pure form and in some of its pharmaceutical preparations. The study was based on the reaction of CPM with ammonium ceric(IV) sulphate (ACS) in an acidic medium, where the reaction resulted in a slightly yellowish white precipitate. It was studied using Ayah 6S × 1-ST-2D solar cell CFI analyzer (homemade) by measuring the light reflected from the surfaces of precipitate particles at (0–180°). Several experiments were conducted to study and improve the chemical and physical parameters. The correlation …

Synthesis And Characterization Of New Petroleum Demulsifies From Poly Acryl Amide With Poly Vinyl Alcohol And Studying Photolysis, Zaynab Hussein Fadel, Sura K. Ibrahim, Sana Hitur Awad, Faris Hamood Mohammed

Baghdad Science Journal

One of the most important problems associated with oil production is the formation of stable (water-in-oil) emulsions, and these emulsions greatly affect the process of treating the oil and ridding it of water.The creation of these emulsions throughout the oil production process is an expensive state, and the low water level of crude oil emulsions enhances performance while lowering the risk of equipment and pipeline deterioration. One technique to lower the water content is to break down crude oil emulsions chemically by demulsification. The water droplets quickly collide because the emulsifier renders the thin film separating the water droplets and …

Predicting Battery Levels Of Sensor Nodes Using Reinforcement Learning In Harsh Underground Mining Environments, Manish Anand Yadav, Mohamed Elmahallawy, Sanjay Madria, Samuel Frimpong

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underground mining is a hazardous environment, with frequent accidents leading to significant loss of life each year. To enhance safety, sensor nodes monitor key environmental factors such as temperature, toxic gases, and miners' locations, as well as transmit critical messages. Miners interact with these sensors, which track their movements, enabling their location to be determined even without GPS signals. Therefore, predicting the battery life of these sensors is essential for: (i) rerouting miners during emergencies, (ii) ensuring timely maintenance, and most importantly (iii) identifying sensors that need energy harvesting to maintain vital communication within the mine. In this work, we …

Theta Oscillons In Behaving Rats, M S Zobaer, Nastaran Lotfi, Carli M Domenico, Clarissa Hoffman, Luca Perotti, Daoyun Ji, Yuri Dabaghian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recently discovered constituents of the brain waves—the oscillons—provide a high-resolution representation of the extracellular field dynamics. Here, we study the most robust, highest-amplitude oscillons recorded in actively behaving male rats, which underlie the traditional θ-waves. The resemblances between θ-oscillons and the conventional θ-waves are manifested primarily at the ballpark level—mean frequencies, mean amplitudes, and bandwidths. In addition, both hippocampal and cortical oscillons exhibit a number of intricate, behavior-attuned, transient properties that suggest a new vantage point for understanding the θ-rhythms’ structure, origins and functions. In particular, we demonstrate that oscillons are frequency-modulated waves, with speed-controlled …

Memory-Augmented Llm Agent For Predicting Locomotion Modes In Construction Activities, Ehsan Ahmadi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The construction industry faces significant challenges, including labor shortages, high physical demands, and safety risks, necessitating advanced assistive technologies like exoskeletons to enhance worker efficiency and reduce injuries. However, effective exoskeleton control in dynamic construction environments requires accurate locomotion prediction, a task complicated by the diversity of activities and reliance on supervised learning methods that struggle to generalize. This study investigates a multimodal approach to locomotion prediction, leveraging speech commands and visual data from smart glasses to enable adaptive and safe human-exoskeleton interaction. The research unfolds in two stages: the first develops a framework to evaluate the zero-shot capability and …

The Impact Of Race-Corrected Spirometry Results On Eligibility Into An Asthma Clinical Trial, Carina H. Perdew, Bridgette L. Jones, Wumi V. Akinjole

Research Days

BACKGROUND: Spirometry is a widely used pulmonary function test that assesses lung function by examining airflow and capacity. Spirometry measurements assist in the diagnosis, severity classification, and management of asthma, and can affect one’s eligibility into various events (e.g., clinical trials, high-risk jobs, sports). Reference equations are used to establish predicted values to account for biological variables such as age, sex, and height; however past clinical guidelines recommended utilizing race-correction. The incorporation of race may negatively impact people of color due to misrepresentation of one's lung function, consequently impacting future medical management. OBJECTIVES: To characterize differences in spirometry values across …

Emergency Department Utilization For Educational Prioritization For Children By Levels Of Community Advantage, Katherine Randolph, Chris Kennedy, Jennifer Watts, Matt Hall

Research Days

Background: Children with higher social deprivation have higher emergency department (ED) utilization. The Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) is a validated multidimensional measure of community advantage which includes access to resources and healthy neighborhood factors. Educational priorities are frequently not tied to risk data.

Objective: This study aimed to identify zip codes with higher-than-expected ED utilization by diagnoses to prioritize the development of educational initiatives for hospitals, emergency medical services, pediatrician offices, and the community.

Methods: We performed a population-based study of children aged 0-17 years who presented to an ED in Kansas or Missouri in 2023 using census data via …

Variables Affecting Neurodevelopmental Outcome In Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease, Elizabeth Loughman, Julie Weiner Do, Marcie Files Md

Research Days

Background: The mortality of cardiac conditions in infancy is improving with advances in surgical planning and medical management. Neurologic morbidity remains significant. Clinically correlating an infant with their neurologic exam, MRI/EEG, and subsequent developmental testing remains a challenge. Counseling regarding neurologic outcomes after cardiac intervention is difficult due to the wide range of findings that can sometimes be clinically irrelevant.

Purpose: The goal of this study is to identify factors associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) as assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Edition IV (Bayley).

Methods: This is …

Implementation Of A Weaning Protocol For Inhaled Nitric Oxide In A Level Iv Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Elizabeth Loughman, Julie Weiner Do, Maryam El Tawil, Chris Nitkin Md

Research Days

Background: Decrease time to begin iNO weaning from 13 hours to 9.75 hours by 31 December 2024 in patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).

Methods: Countermeasures include (1) provider education at each disciplinary level, (2) badge reminder cards and laminated copies of the protocol available at the bedside, (3) order set modifications, (4) abnormality tracking at huddles. Data collection will be automated through weekly Business Objects report. The main outcome measure will be time to first wean of iNO after meeting protocol criteria. Feedback regarding the ease of weaning will be generated via Gemba Rounds.

Results: These …

Effect Of Social Determinants Of Health On Clinic Visit Attendance In Patients With Hemophilia, Shailly Gaur Md, Brian Lee Phd, Mph, James Anderst Md, Msci, Katie Foote Lscsw, Lcsw, Osw-C, Andrea Bradley-Ewing Mpa, Ma, Shannon Carpenter Md

Research Days

Background

Social determinants of health (SDOH) create barriers to seeking care regularly, especially for patients with chronic disease. Patients with moderate-severe hemophilia A and B (factor 8 and 9 deficiencies respectively) have a life-long higher risk of bleeding and require chronic therapies. Specialized care is offered through hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs); however, these can be difficult to access for some individuals. Previous SDOH research in this patient population has been limited; therefore, it can be difficult to identify the barriers to care that exist. There is a need to examine SDOH more thoroughly to create patient-directed interventions to improve access …

Intraspinal Anomalies In Presumed Ais Does Not Increase The Risk Of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Changes During Posterior Spinal Fusion, Connor Mathes, Bill Woodhams, Aaron Shaw, John Anderson, Michael Benvenuti, Richard Schwend

Research Days

This study aims to identify the association between intraoperative neuromonitoring changes during posterior spinal fusion surgery among patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and those found to have intraspinal anomalies on standard preoperative imaging.

Implementation Of An Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathway In Adolescent Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Evaluation Of Endometriosis, Lauren Roth Md, Madeline Ross Md, Todd Glenski Md, Emily Weisberg Md, Ashli Lawson

Research Days

This study evaluates the implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway for adolescent patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for endometriosis at a tertiary children's hospital. The retrospective reviewed included 53 patients (20 pre-ERAS, 33 post-ERAS) aged 12-20 years old, comparing preoperative compliance, intraoperative adherence, and postoperative outcomes. Findings showed 81% compliance with preoperative medication, 76% received appropriate preoperative medications, and 39% had recommended carbohydrate loading. Intraoperative compliance was 87%, with 61% adherence to postoperative medications. Post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay time increased (44 vs 53 minutes, p=0.21), but pain scores, postoperative prescriptions, and hospital readmissions remained unchanged. This study …

Spinal Deformity Characteristics Associated With Intraspinal Anomalies In A Population Of Presumed Ais, Connor Mathes, Aaron Shaw, Bill Woodhams, John Anderson, Michael Benvenuti, Richard Schwend

Research Days

This study aims to identify an association between pre-operative radiographic criterion and the presence of an underlying intraspinal anomaly in patients presenting with presumed adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion.

Adherence To Oral Iron In Adolescent Females With Iron Deficiency Secondary To Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Kennedy Sheedy, Lauren Amos Md, Ms

Research Days

Iron deficiency is an important, but often minimized issue among adolescent females. While treat with oral iron is generally first-line treatment, IV iron has been shown to be safe and effective. Our study looks at adherence and barriers to oral iron treatment and assesses current use of IV iron for iron deficiency at Children's Mercy, in hopes of helping move towards utilizing the most beneficial treatment for each individual patient.

Evidence In Support Of Adaptive Learning For Pre-Class Preparation In A Flipped Stem Classroom, Renee M. Clark, Autar Kaw, Andrew Scott, Saurav Kumar, Ali Yalcin

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Adaptive learning supports online instruction by offering feedback to students using machine learning. In a funded study, adaptive learning was used in a flipped STEM course at three universities for pre-class preparation. We conducted a comparative analysis with and without adaptive learning. The assessments were a final exam and concept inventory (stratified demographically) and affective questions from the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory, focus groups, and evaluation survey. This study found classroom environment enhancement with adaptive learning, with Task Orientation and Satisfaction exhibiting significant changes at two universities. We found enhanced perspectives with adaptive learning, including increased preference for …

Enhancing Students’ Academic Success Through Reflective Writing In An Undergraduate Flipped Course, Grace Onodipe, Darryl Romanow, Michelle M. Robbins

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Prior research has posited that flipped classrooms facilitate students’ self-directed learning and enhance grades. Although reflective writing is one method linked to academic success, it rarely has been examined empirically in the literature within the context of flipped classrooms. The current study investigated the association between growth mindset-inspired reflective writing, self-regulated learning assessments, and academic performance in a fully flipped Introduction to Economics course. Regression analyses found that reflective writing effort and targeted self-directed learning scores were associated with higher grades on course assessments. These findings suggest that reflective writing that incorporates growth-mindset messaging should be encouraged in flipped classrooms.